Foster: Baggies switch was no-brainer

Ben Foster revealed it was an easy decision for him to move to West Brom

Goalkeeper Ben Foster said his "special connection" with the West Brom fans was a key factor in him making the permanent move from Birmingham to the Hawthorns.

Foster enjoyed a successful season on loan at Albion before moving for an undisclosed fee on an initial three-year contract which also includes a further two years in the club's favour.

Foster said: "The fans accepted me so well and I always got such an amazing buzz off them last season. I've got a special connection with them and joining the club was a bit of a no-brainer because of that."

He added: "I'm quite a positive person and give everything all of the time and I think the fans appreciate that. They were with us throughout, were our 12th man at times and sometimes you need that."

Foster was linked strongly with a move to QPR before they snapped up Robert Green from West Ham.

But he insisted: "There were never any worries that I'd be going anywhere else. Everyone knows how happy I was here last season.

"There were rumours circulating about other clubs but it was nothing I never took seriously because my family were settled in the area."

West Brom head coach Steve Clarke saw signing Foster as a top priority.

Clarke said: "I think the supporters will be delighted we've been able to keep him on board and make him our player.

"In any league in the world you want a goalkeeper that is going to make match-winning saves, turn draws into wins and defeats into draws. A quality goalkeeper is worth 10 or 12 points a season to you - and that's certainly what we think we've got in Ben Foster."